Many individuals are searching for exercises to treat heartburn, as up to 12% of the world’s population suffers from heartburn and the resulting discomfort and inconvenience, especially in the late hours of the night, and it occurs for many and varied reasons.

Are you one of those who suffer from heartburn? Do you know the reasons why it occurs? Are you looking for exercises to treat heartburn? What should be done besides exercise to relieve heartburn?

Do not be afraid, dear reader, you are not alone. In this article, since we care about your physical fitness and everything related to the health of your body, my butterfly, we will talk about exercises to treat heartburn, its causes, and tips that you must practice until you reduce or get rid of it completely, and we will answer all the questions that come to your mind regarding exercises to treat heartburn.

Learn about Heartburn

heartburn is considered a common disease. It is a feeling of discomfort in the upper part and throat area and is accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth and lower chest. This is all a result of stomach acid rising from it into the esophagus, and it occurs for multiple reasons that we will talk about, in addition to that we will discuss exercises to treat heartburn later.

Gastroenterologist Kevin M. Kronley, MD, said: Heartburn is one of the most common symptoms that accompany esophageal reflux disease, and although heartburn is an important symptom, it is possible to have heartburn without developing esophageal reflux disease.

Heartburn Causes

Heartburn is one of the most common diseases that a person can suffer from and can affect all ages. It does not affect the general health of the human body, but it can cause pain in the lower chest and throat and lead to the patient feeling uncomfortable and affecting his performance. It occurs for various and varied reasons. We learn about it together:

• When you experience heartburn two or more times a week, we can consider heartburn an important symptom of your gastroesophageal reflux disease, even though it can occur on its own.
• Smoking is one of the most important factors that increase the chance of developing heartburn.
• Obesity increases the chances of heartburn.
• An unhealthy diet.

Despite their different types and different treatment methods, there are exercises to treat heartburn that we will talk about in this article.

Foods that Stimulate Heartburn

Eating foods that trigger gastric reflux will increase your chances of heartburn, and here we advise you to avoid these foods that we will mention as much as possible:

• Caffeine is found in abundance in coffee
• Tomatoes and foods that contain tomatoes in their recipes
• hot food
• Mint
• Fatty foods, fried and ready-made foods that contain a high percentage of fat
• Onions and garlic
• Citrus fruits and foods containing citrus fruits
• Chocolate
• Soft drinks
• Alcoholic drinks

Exercises to Treat Heartburn

Exercising is one of the most important factors for relieving heartburn, as it increases abdominal pressure and thus contributes to opening the esophageal muscle, which reduces the individual’s feeling of heartburn, as experts have confirmed the role of weight loss and its effectiveness in alleviating heartburn and improving the digestion process, and it leads to Weight loss and obesity that predispose to this problem.

They stressed the importance of choosing an appropriate exercise schedule, as some exercises in the case of heartburn may be a double-edged sword, as some exercises may exacerbate the problem of heartburn, such as: lifting weights, intense aerobic exercises, and jumping.

Before you despair and give up your sneakers forever, we are pleased to tell you that some exercises work to alleviate this problem and exercises to treat heartburn:

Walking

Isn't the walking exercise very simple? Walking is considered one of the best exercises for treating heartburn, as you can start with a simple, low-impact physical activity that tightens all the muscles of your body, such as daily walking. It is considered one of the low-impact exercises that strengthens heart health, and the speed, distance, and time can be controlled according to what suits the individual’s comfort, it helps burn good amounts of calories and reduces contact of stomach acids with the esophagus.

A moderate-paced, hour-long walk in nature can maintain your fitness and mental and physical health and thus relieve the pain of your heartburn.

Swimming

Swimming is considered one of the best exercises for treating heartburn and a good sport for relieving esophageal reflux, as swimming is a simple and easy sport with light movements that are low in impact and shock, and it has many different benefits.

Yoga

Yoga is an essential factor in treating and getting rid of heartburn, as it helps you breathe better. Various studies conducted have proven that doing yoga and breathing exercises helps you strengthen the muscles of the diaphragm and the lower esophageal sphincter muscles, which regulate the flow of stomach contents, and increase the flow of blood to various organs of the body, including the digestive system, and stimulates intestinal contraction, which leads to increasing the quality of the digestion process and reducing the chances of heartburn.

We advise you, Madam, to do slow and deep breathing exercises, which contribute to relieving stress and anxiety and prevent the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus, thus clearly reducing the problem of heartburn. It is practiced for 30 minutes a day.

Breathing exercises

Can breathing exercises contribute to stimulating and improving the health of the digestive system and help with the problem of heartburn?

Breathing exercises are one of the best yoga exercises for treating heartburn. They strengthen the various muscles surrounding the diaphragm in addition to the esophageal muscle, which reduces the chances of stomach acid reflux, thus reducing the need for people to use acid-suppressing and stomach-protecting medications.

Breathing exercises are also easy and can be practiced after eating by taking a deep breath through the nose, holding it for a while, then exhaling it quickly and gradually. These are the steps for doing the breathing exercise in detail:

• Bring a chair, sit on its edge, and spread your knees, keeping your back straight
• Inhale air through your nose and fill your lungs with it
• Exhale completely through your mouth
• Lower your head between your feet with your upper body hanging
• Expel any remaining air into your mouth
• Close your nostrils and mouth, then return to your upright position
• Create what is called suction by inhaling through your mouth and closed nostrils
• Stay in this state as much as possible
• You can repeat the breathing exercises several times after each meal

Meditation exercises

Meditation exercises are considered one of the most important exercises for treating heartburn and are also followed by yoga. They contribute to getting rid of stress, which is an important factor that slows down the digestive process and leads to an increased chance of heartburn. Do not neglect meditation and relaxation exercises.

Cobra pose

It is one of the exercises to treat heartburn and follows the sport of yoga. It is very useful, as it contributes to tightening your abdominal muscles, stimulates your blood circulation, improves the digestive process and relieves your constipation. Here are the steps to apply the exercise:

• Lie on your stomach, bend your arms and elbows toward your body, and face your palms in front of and below your shoulders.
• Inhale through your nose and lift your head, neck and back while extending your arms
• Bend your head back or look straight ahead
• Wait in this position for 10 seconds, then lower to the floor while exhaling

Tai chi exercise

It is one of the exercises to treat heartburn, and it consists of a series of light stretching and stretching exercises, which continue from one exercise to another, ensuring a flow from one position to another without stopping, to ensure continuous body movement. It is considered a type of meditation, as it promotes tranquility and relieves stress. It improves aerobic capacity, strengthens muscles, improves shape, enhances sleep quality, and connects the body with the mind.

Tai Chi exercises are performed with concentration and slowly while maintaining deep breathing. Here is how to perform the exercises:

1. Get ready and stand upright
2. That is, one foot is in front of the other, slightly away from it, and not closed
3. Move your arms like trying to touch your thighs
4. Take a step to the left with your left foot and hold your right foot in place
5. Place your body weight towards the left, keeping in mind that the toes of your left foot touch the ground
6. Balance all parts of your body
7. Move your right foot towards your left, but without moving your body (it may seem difficult, but with practice it will become an easy routine)
8. Move your left hand up with your fingers pointing to the right, and your wrist pointing outward
9. Move your right hand down and your arms down with your fingers pointing forward
10. Let the fingers of your right hand touch the lateral (inner) side of your left wrist
11. Push your right hand over your left hand.

Spinal Twist

It is one of the exercises to treat heartburn and follows yoga exercises. It stimulates the muscles of your abdominal area and puts pressure on them, which helps to remove accumulated toxins from the body and in turn leads to improving the digestion process. Here is how to apply it:

• Lie on the floor and extend your right leg forward
• Place your left leg over your right and rest the sole of your left foot on the outside of your right knee
• Twist your body to the right as much as you can, and place your palms to the right as well
• Maintain this position for 10 seconds while inhaling and exhaling

cat pose

It is one of the best exercises for treating heartburn, as it applies pressure to the digestive system and replenishes blood stores in the abdominal area. Here are two steps to apply the cat pose exercise:

1. Sit on all fours with your back up
2. Place your hands at a distance that matches the distance between and under your shoulders, and place your knees at a distance that matches the distance between and under your hips.
3. Press your palms until they reach the floor, keeping your middle finger pointing straight ahead and spreading your remaining fingers outward.
4. Lower your shoulders away from your head
5. Look down and in the meantime extend the back of your neck away from your shoulders
6. Extend your spine until you are as high up on the table as you can be
7. Keep your elbows straight and your legs and arms steady while positioning on top of the table
8. Keep breathing
9. As you exhale, slowly contract your abdominal muscles inward
10. Move your shoulder blades closer together and look toward the floor between your knees
11. Press down firmly with your hands so that your shoulders rise up and your spine goes in the same direction
12. On an inhale, return your spine to a table-top position
13. Keep switching between the two modes
14. Synchronize every movement you make with your breathing

Wind Relieving Pose

It is one of the important exercises to treat heartburn, as it removes excess gases from the stomach as well as the intestines and improves your digestive system. This exercise will contribute to tightening the lower part of your back and extending and elongating it. Here are the steps for applying the wind relief exercise:

1. Sit on the yoga mat
2. Raise your right knee
3. Wrap your hand around your right knee
4. Raise your head toward your knee while maintaining your breathing
5. Repeat the exercise, switching with your left leg
6. You can make slow swinging movements
7. Repeat the exercise for 20 seconds

Cycling

It is one of the good options and should be practiced for at least half an hour a day. It is one of the easiest exercises to treat heartburn. It can be performed at home on a stationary bike or go out for a walk on the bike. It can be performed with friends. It helps calm your mind, makes you feel refreshed, focuses on the abdominal area, and leads to... Stimulating the digestive system, thus improving its general health and reducing heartburn.

Sternum Press Xiphoid Process

It is one of the exercises to treat heartburn. In this exercise, you will need to use a spherical handle with a soft pointed attachment. It is considered one of the bone compression tools. If it is not available, use white cork as an alternative. Here is how to perform the exercise:

• Press your fingers around the lower area of the breastbone, which is called the sternum. This bone is located in the area where the lower ribs meet. You will feel a xiphoid protrusion.
• Press the ball handle into the fleshy area between your right ribs and the xiphoid process
• Continue pressing the area until you feel strong pressure
• Wait for at least two minutes and then finish the exercise
• Repeat the exercise in the area between your left lower ribs and the xiphoid protuberance in the same way
•  

Crunches

It is one of the important exercises for treating heartburn in the abdomen, as it stimulates the digestive system and makes it perform its tasks more efficiently. Crushing exercises are divided into 3 sections, which consist of the reverse crush, the long arm crush, and the abdomen perpendicular to the leg. It helps strengthen the abdominal muscles and core muscles, reduces abdominal fat, and makes the abdominal shape of The belly look better.

Pelvic floor exercise

This exercise, which is considered one of the most important exercises for treating heartburn, enables you to stimulate and strengthen the muscles of the lower part of your pelvis, where the bladder and intestines are located. When the pelvic muscles are stronger, they will be able to push the stool effortlessly through the colon and out of the body, and this in turn will improve the digestion process.

Forward bend

One of the exercises to treat heartburn that has proven effective is bending the body forward and backward contributes to calming the excess bowel movement. Doing this exercise will reduce the muscles that surround the stomach area and make them relax, thus being the best way to facilitate and improve the digestion process.

Tips to Follow with Exercises to Treat Heartburn

After we talked about exercises to treat heartburn and their important role in alleviating the problem, we will talk about the tips that must be followed in addition to exercises to treat heartburn to obtain a more guaranteed and efficient result. We give you good news, Madam, that following these few simple healthy habits will greatly reduce your heartburn. So, come together, my beautiful butterfly, and we will read about tips to relieve heartburn:

• Avoid food that triggers esophageal reflux, as it will reduce the amount of acid in the stomach and help reduce and prevent heartburn, such as tomatoes and mint.
• Chew gum, as studies have shown that chewing gum reduces the incidence of heartburn. It increases the swallowing process by increasing the secretion of saliva, which helps clean the esophagus of acid. The latest studies also found that chewing sugar-free gum after eating for half an hour leads to Reducing the chances of heartburn occurring, try to choose gum that is free of mint, citrus, or other stimulants so that your symptoms do not worsen.
• Eat yogurt or cold, iced milk, as it helps relieve heartburn temporarily
• When performing exercises to treat heartburn, make sure that your stomach is empty by avoiding eating at least two hours before exercise.
• Drink aloe vera juice and coconut water. These drinks have proven effective in getting rid of heartburn. It is preferable to drink them after consulting a doctor if there are other stomach problems.
• Take sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water, as it reduces heartburn. This should be done after consulting a doctor, as sodium bicarbonate increases salts in your diet.
• Eat fatty peanut butter after spreading it on biscuits or bread before doing exercises to treat heartburn.
• Eat vegetables with non-fatty white meat or with eggs after completing exercises to treat heartburn
• Use the appropriate antacid medications for you before starting exercises to treat heartburn.
• Stay away from alcoholic beverages, as drinking alcohol may increase the production of stomach acid and increase the chances of esophageal reflux, which in turn leads to heartburn. Alcohol can also cause damage to the esophagus, making it more painful when reflux and heartburn occur.
• Write down the drinks and foods you eat in a diary so that you know what affects you. Foods and drinks affect people differently and monitoring what you eat will lead to your detailed knowledge of the foods that you should avoid so that the symptoms of heartburn do not worsen.
• Avoid mixing alcoholic drinks with orange juice or other juices that trigger heartburn, and replace them with drinks such as carrot juice or apple juice.
• Avoid drinking alcohol at least two hours before you go to sleep, and do not lie down immediately after drinking it, as this increases the occurrence of esophageal reflux and heartburn.
• Do not lie on your back while sleeping, as it increases the chances of acid rising from the stomach into the esophagus
• Raise your bed. Raising yourself while sleeping will cause acid to remain
• Refrain from eating at least three hours before going to sleep.

In conclusion, dear reader who suffers from heartburn, we hope that you liked our article, and more importantly, that you have benefited and learned how to practice exercises to treat heartburn. If you followed the exercises and advice that we attached previously and did not benefit or notice any improvement, you continue to suffer from heartburn. Frequently (more than twice a week) you should consult a doctor or your caregiver, as this may be a sign of a more serious condition and should be monitored and treated by a doctor.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Exercises to Treat Heartburn

How long does heartburn last?
The pain and feeling of heartburn can last from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on what you ate and the type of food you ate.

What is the main cause of heartburn??
The return of stomach acid and its components to the esophagus occurs for various reasons, including weakness of the esophageal muscle.

What foods should I avoid if I have heartburn?
Garlic, onions, mint, caffeine, tomatoes and fatty foods

What are the symptoms of heartburn?
Difficulty swallowing, belching, and burning pain in the middle of the chest accompanied by an acidic taste and a feeling of nausea

When can I do exercises to treat heartburn?
Breathing exercises immediately after eating, and the rest of the exercises at least two hours after eating

Written by: Haidy Soliman

Sources:

Livelong 

Verywell fit